


Eyes Like Steel

by chronicAngel



Series: Avatar College AU [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, First Meeting, Fluff, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 16:32:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8217145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chronicAngel/pseuds/chronicAngel
Summary: Sokka and Suki's first meeting. Part of what will likely become a larger, more organized college AU.





	

The first thing he notices about her, before the flowing green silk of her dress which is normally covered by somewhat bulky armor and before the colorful make-up which she wipes off of her face in streaks, is her eyes of ice and steel. When he first sees her, she's three minutes late to their shared Geography class and he recognizes her as one of the girls in the tessenjutsu class that he passes on his way to swimming every day-- a sport he is only in because his sister says it's good for him ("It's much needed exercise," she used to tease him mercilessly), and his father has a tendency to side with her. Although mostly, he does it because his mother used to encourage him and it is one of the few things he has left of her.

Her chest is heaving with pants and it is obvious that practice ran a bit late and she ran here straight from the gymnasium they practice in. She jogs to the professor's desk to drop off a hastily-written note from her instructor before seemingly taking a moment to scan the classroom, walking calmly to a seat in the back which happens to be next to Sokka, not that he thinks it's anything more than a coincidence. Without asking, she sits, and it's when he offers her his notes so she can catch up that he really sees her, catches the hint of mischief hidden in her eyes. Her lips upturn at the corners and, wordlessly, her eyes run over his paper, hand copying the words written there in small, neat handwriting without even looking at the paper, and once she's caught up she gives him a thankful smile.

They go back to their usual silence after that, though he finds himself occasionally lifting his eyes to her face again. Their professor gives them fifteen minutes at the end of class, supposedly to finish their homework early, though he's pretty sure it's because he's reached the end of his lesson plan and has nothing else prepared. He manages to make a little progress on his work, but becomes distracted by a smudge of white on her cheek.

Eventually, he lifts his hand to swipe at it, his thumb brushing over her skin and smearing the paint into non-existence and he doesn't realize he's messed up until she looks over at him, but oh, _has he messed up._

"What are you doing?" She snaps at him, an eyebrow raised in obvious irritation, and he practically rips his hand away from her face in a jerky motion as he stutters out the nervous beginnings to at least half a dozen hesitant answers. Eventually, her eyebrow relaxes and she snickers at him until her irritation fades, her previous expression replaced with a small smile marking plump lips which causes him to grin back at her, scratching at the back of his head.

"I'm Sokka." He offers a tanned hand to her, callouses coating the palms from years of helping his father with small projects, and her hand is smooth and soft when she takes it and gives it a small shake.

"Suki."

They don't talk much after that, favoring putting their stuff into their backpacks in preparation for the class ending. He tells her an overly cheesy joke, which summons a snort from her, and they talk about studying in the library together after their next classes (he has a lecture on the History of War throughout Europe and the United States, she has a twenty minute break before a class on American Literature) before agreeing to talk again next time they see each other. She waves at him over her shoulder when she leaves the classroom and he just gives her a dumbstruck grin in response.


End file.
